On the eve of the clash between Portugal and Spain for the World Cup, at a press conference, renowned player Cristiano Ronaldo surprised by questioning a Brazilian sports journalist. The professional in question is Marcelo Bechler, 39 years old, born in Minas Gerais. The episode raised curiosity about Bechler’s identity and the reasons that led the Portuguese star to remember him.
Profile and achievements in the sports press
Born in the city of Contagem, in Minas Gerais, Marcelo Bechler completed his journalism training at the Pontifical Catholic University (PUC) of Minas Gerais, accumulating experiences in various media outlets in Brazil throughout his professional career.
Currently, Bechler works as a commentator for TNT Sports, maintains a column in the newspaper Folha de S. Paulo and is recognized as an expert on international football on Rádio Itatiaia. Before these commitments, he also contributed to Grupo Globo, Grupo Bandeirantes and Lance!.
In 2014, the sports journalist made a significant change, moving to Spain, where he started covering Barcelona games. It was during this period that Bechler reached a career milestone, with a scoop of global repercussion: the news of Neymar’s departure from the club in 2017 to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
Later, in 2020, the same journalist was responsible for reporting first-hand Lionel Messi’s attempt to leave Barcelona, revealing yet another crucial chapter in European football.
Still in 2020, Bechler gained prominence on social media after Bayern Munich’s historic 8-2 defeat of Barcelona in the Champions League. He had surprisingly predicted the score in a pre-match analysis. “I believe that Bayern Munich will dominate Barcelona. They will overcome Barcelona. It is the most unbalanced duel in the quarter-finals”, he declared at the time.
The point of tension in the relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo
During the press conference, Cristiano Ronaldo did not provide clear details about what led him to believe that Marcelo Bechler did not appreciate him. After the incident, the journalist himself used his digital platforms to state that he could not recall any specific situation that could have motivated the attacker’s comment.
Bechler considered that the reason could be related to him having expressed a preference for Messi at some point or having criticized Cristiano’s behavior. This perception on the part of high-profile athletes like Cristiano Ronaldo is common in sports journalism, where the historic rivalry between icons like him and Lionel Messi often puts reporters under scrutiny for their preferences or critical analysis. He expressed a feeling of honor and satisfaction upon realizing that his work had led to him being recognized by such a prominent figure as Cristiano Ronaldo.
The journalist had already produced content praising Messi, and came to realize a dream by getting a personal interview with the Argentine star.
When commenting on Cristiano Ronaldo, Bechler described him as “a great player”. He added that the athlete is “criticizable at times, as absolutely everyone is, but much more praiseworthy than criticizable.”
Bechler concluded his reflection by stating that, although he does not agree with Cristiano Ronaldo’s perception, he prefers to be remembered by him only as a journalist with a divergent opinion rather than as an unethical professional. “I would be very upset if he said: ‘You’ve already disrespected me, you’ve already invented things about me, you’ve already planted fake news about me, you’ve already belittled me'”, he explained.
